Here is the article from the Wall Street Journal printed the first week of September this year.
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The Food and Drug Adminstration said doctors should screen patients for kidney problems before prescribing Novartis AG's (NVS) bone-building drug Reclast.
In a drug-safety communication posted to the agency's website Thursday, the FDA said it was updating an existing warning about the risk of kidney failure. The agency said kidney failure "was a rare but serious condition associated with the use of Reclast in patients with a history of or risk factors for [kidney] impairment."
Reclast is an infusion that's given once every one or two years to treat or prevent osteoporosis as well as treat Paget's disease of the bone.
FDA said doctors need to give patients a blood test to check kidney function as well as monitor patients already on Reclast. Patients with evidence of acute kidney impairment should not be prescribed Reclast, FDA said. Such instructions are being added to Reclast's drug label.
In 2009, FDA added a kidney-failure warning to Reclast's label after receiving about two dozen reports of kidney failure, some of which were fatal, following Reclast infusion.
Since then, FDA said it has received 11 reports of fatal kidney failure and nine reports of non-fatal kidney injury after Reclast infusion.
-By Jennifer Corbett Dooren, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9294; jennifer.corbett@dowjones.com
One thing this article did not include was that the warning was also aimed at those who are taking potentially kidney-damaging (nephrotoxic) medications or diuretics at the same time as Reclast. This is another example of a drug designed to treat osteoporosis that also has severe side effects. It started with Premarin, Provera, and PremPro. These drugs were first used for the prevention of hot flashes related to menopause but, soon their manufacturer was promoting the drug to stop osteoporosis. Today conservative estimates are that several hundred thousand women suffered unnecessary breast cancers while taking these drugs. After the Women's Health Initiative was released, the FDA intervened and harsh warnings went on the label.
Then came the “miracle” drug Fosamax. For a time it was the latest, greatest drug doctors could give to prevent osteoporosis until researchers started noticing that it rotted jaw bones. Teeth fell out, infections set in and women’s lives were ruined. The latest revelation about Fosamax is that instead of strengthening bones it actually makes them more brittle. Even more ironically, women are now suffering fractures of their legs and hips doing even the simplest tasks. Recently drug Bonevia was being investigated to determine if it may contribute to esophageal cancer.
Ultimately these drugs only barely increase bone density most of the time they are used to prevent further loss. An MD once told me that they are happy when there is a 0% difference in bone mineral density in a one year time span while taking these medications. Why?, because the patient is one year older and has not lost any more bone density. It is common to be only on these medications for 5 years at a time. After that 5 year mark the risk for severe side effects increase beyond the benefit of limiting bone loss.
The best option available is to engage in an effective strength training program. A program that will allow you to place a significant stress or load on your musculo-skeletal system and stimulates muscle and bone cell growth. This is part of our reason for getting involved with BStrong4Life. Not only has it made for great improvement in spine and spine related pain, but it will load the body in a way that stimulates bone growth.
The BStrong4Life program has made enough of an impact in the Naperville area Edward Hospital is involved in a study of its effects on bone density growth.
If you haven't already, or if you have but it was a long time ago, check out our BStrong4Life website at geneva.bstrong4life.com
